10 More Houston Concerts We're Looking Forward to In 2017

LADY GAGANRG Stadium, February 5 Between the fashion choices and her overall oddity, Lady Gaga was once considered a novelty act, someone who seemed to be trying way too hard to be her generation’s Madonna. Then, somewhere along the way, she recorded an album with Tony Bennett, appeared to stop caring about her image, and magically kinda became her generation’s Madonna by happenstance – a trend-setting, provocative pop supernova. Gaga will headline this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, and there is little doubt she will bring the noise as acts like Beyoncé and Prince have done before. CLINT HALE

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DASHBOARD CONFESSIONALHouse of Blues, February 12 Dashboard Confessional vocalist Chris Carrabba remains as emotive as ever, channeling dogged sincerity as he makes a bid for a woman's hand on the recently released acoustic track "May." Though Carrabba has not set a firm date for the release of his band's next album — their seventh, and first since 2009 — this monthlong tour from New York to California might be his way of testing the waters to see if the climate is right for the next A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar. New music would be great, but so long as the set list includes "Hands Down," "Screaming Infidelities" and "Vindicated," longtime fans will continue buying tickets. MATTHEW KEEVER

AFIWhite Oak Music Hall, February 13 It's been nearly 14 years since AFI burst onto the scene with Sing the Sorrow, and it feels like even longer since followup DecemberUnderground was almost too artsy for even its creators to top. That, coupled with a number of issues, led to fans losing interest and a falloff in album sales. The California quartet has spent the better half of the past decade trying to recover, and if the two singles from their forthcoming album are any indication, they very well may be able to recover for a second go-round. "Snow Cats" taps into the moody tones of DecemberUnderground, and "White Offerings" is reminiscent of the aggressive tracks that initially made them so popular. MATTHEW KEEVER

GREEN DAYToyota Center, March 5 It once seemed implausible that Green Day would become a legendary rock act. But between a career-defining album like American Idiot! – which spawned its own Broadway musical – and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Billie Joe and the boys are just that. Yeah, their last few albums haven’t really resonated the way Idiot did, though Revolution Radio really does aspire to greatness even if it doesn’t quite get there. Point being, I’ve had the good fortune of seeing Green Day live several times over the years — some during peaks in their career, and others during valleys. In both cases, they played to the room and electrified the crowd. CLINT HALE

BRING ME THE HORIZONRevention Music Center, March 10 Bring Me the Horizon was first characterized as a "deathcore" band, fusing elements of death metal and metalcore on its debut album, Count Your Blessings. But that changed as the group began incorporating more melodies to hone in on their new sound on 2015's That's the Spirit. Their fifth studio album was both the most accessible and the most polarizing in their discography since it marked a departure from their early sound in favor of big choruses and anthemic verses. Many longtime fans have since abandoned the group, but even more have bought into what BMTH is selling, which blends their screamo background with the kind of synth-rock popularized by Linkin Park. It's not for everyone, but it was the closest the band has ever come to a No. 1 record so far in their career. MATTHEW KEEVER

PANIC! AT THE DISCOToyota Center, April 1 Panic! At the Disco refuses to be pigeonholed. From electronic pop-punk and psychedelic rock to baroque pop and hip-hop, Brendon Urie has proven over the past decade that, if nothing else, he has some interesting ideas. Most Panic enthusiasts are fans of a specific album — their debut, its Beatles-inspired followup, the party album that followed or the band's latest effort, their first to debut at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200. But versatility is Panic's best feature, and their live shows tend to be full of radio hits, with a few lesser-known cuts sprinkled into the mix for true enthusiasts. No matter your preference, Urie and his current bandmates — whoever they might be — are sure to put on an entertaining show, and chances are high that everyone in attendance will know the words to at least a few songs, even if they aren't diehard fans. MATTHEW KEEVER

PJ HARVEYRevention Music Center, April 29 This should be a real treat. PJ Harvey hasn’t performed in Houston (I think) since opening for U2’s “Elevation” tour in 2001, meaning she hasn’t played a relatively intimate room here like Revention since Lord knows when. A decade and a half is plenty of time that the Harvey Houston actually gets could be a tossup between the raw, unrepentant rocker of Dry and Rid of Me and the eclectic singer-songwriter behind more recent efforts, like the pensive Let England Shake and this year’s politically charged The Hope Six Demolition Project. With any luck, we’ll get a little — or a lot — of both. CHRIS GRAY

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERSCynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, April 29 The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are billing their trip through the sheds this spring/summer as a “40th Anniversary Tour,” celebrating the debut album that handily stripped away the spare tire common to so much bloated mid-’70s rock. Still, the way things have been going lately, this is no time to think, “eh, we’ll just wait for the next tour.” Petty and crew love to play and have no new album to push, meaning fans should be in for two-plus hours of hits, rarities, covers, a possible guest shot by opener Joe Walsh, and perhaps even a Mudcrutch tune or two. CHRIS GRAY

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THE WEEKNDToyota Center, May 6 It may feel like the Weeknd has been rattling around inside your ear canals forever, but Canada-born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye has earned his right to be there. The argument could be made that he's a more talented, more complete version of Drake, the actor-turned-rapper whose coattails The Weeknd seemingly rode to fame. But if you consider their accomplishments, The Weeknd really puts his mentor to shame. He sings better, consistently comes up with more creative wordplay and is actually capable of putting together albums that are worth listening to from start to finish. It isn't a contest, and there's plenty of room for both Canadians on the airwaves, but if you think The Weeknd's ascent to stardom has been swift, you haven't been paying attention. MATTHEW KEEVER

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, PAULA ABDUL, BOYZ II MENToyota Center, May 20 If you think the locals won’t pack the house for a little taste of ’80s and ’90s nostalgia, you’re crazy. Those who grew up on these artists now have the disposable income to buy their own tickets, and they’ll do just that for a show that should deliver on what you expect. New Kids, Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men (the latter of whom should have remained a commercial force longer than they did) will sing all the hits, play to the crowd and help them relive their youth. Nostalgia tours like these are all the rage these days, and with good reason – they sell tickets. CLINT HALE

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